Drug dealer ‘relieved to be caught by police’ is jailed for three years

Callum Jones

A Northamptonshire drug dealer is “relieved to have been caught by police” as he was struggling to pay off a debt to another dealer, a court heard.

Joshua Dixon, aged 23, was stopped by police on May 29 last year as officers had spotted a minor problem with the number plate on his Peugeot car.

After a search of the vehicle, officers uncovered two small bags of cannabis and 11 bags of cocaine as well as £310 in cash.

Dixon was arrested and a search of his home address in Glastonbury Road, Corby, was conducted.

Northampton Crown Court heard officers found 250 grams of cocaine, worth an estimated £10,926 and a number of cannabis plants, worth more than £2,000.

Dixon gave ‘no comment’ in his police interviews but later pleaded guilty to charges of possessing a class A drug with intent, possessing a class B drug with intent and producing cannabis.

James Varley, mitigating, said his client had told him he was “relieved” to have been caught by police as he was in a “dire” financial situation and owned money to a drug dealer.

Mr Varley said his client had got himself into debt due to his own addiction to cocaine.

Her Honour Judge Lucking sentenced Dixon to three years in prison for possession of the cocaine, eight months for possession of the cannabis and 32 months for producing a class B drug. All sentences will be served concurrently.

He is likely to serve 18 months in jail before being released on licence.